As we journey through life, we often ponder on the things we desire to accomplish before our time is up. These musings take shape in what is commonly referred to as a "bucket list."
While many of us may not cross off everything from ours, the process of jotting down our aspirations helps us identify our priorities and can be a source of inspiration when reflecting on all that we've achieved.
On the flip side, there are certain activities that leave such a sour taste in our minds that we vow never to attempt them. So when Reddit user Phlux asked other people on the platform to share their top "anti-bucket list" of things, many happily obliged.
This post may include affiliate links.
Tattooing my face
Caving. F**k. That. Google the nutty putty cave, and read all about John Jones for nightmares.
Having my own kids. I'm at that age where all my friends either have kids or are planning too but I just can't imagine changing my entire life to become a parent
I'll never leave the solar system on a multi-generational colony ship headed for another star. There's just no way, bro.
Is anybody going to casually ask the aliens if they want us there? Just showing up there seems a bit disrespectful
Becoming famous
I’ve thought about it and decided it’s not good.
I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of avoiding it, for which I’m proud of myself.
Flying a plane. I am colorblind thus I cannot get a pilots license.
I personally find it ironic since people with my specific brand of color blindness were roped into the Air Force in WW2 because they could distinguish German camouflage from the skies.
I didn't know that! I'm partially colorblind. I'm scared of planes anyways tho lol
deep sea diving. i have extreme thalassophobia. no thanks
Is it called that because it's "thalass" thing you'd ever do? Seems logical...
Ride a moose.
But imagine just how majestic you'd look.
I'll probably never be president. Statistically it's unlikely, and regardless of how you feel about the current one, it's a pretty stressful job, so I'm not sure I'd want to even if I had the option.
I'm an arachnophobe, so both Brazil and Australia are definitely on my anti-bucket list.
I hate hospitals AND spiders, so despite all the fascinating stuff in Australia, it's a nope for me too.
Load More Replies...Hello! I am Brazilian and I can't remember last time I saw and spider. Just stick to the beach towns and don't go to the countryside. You will love us ❤️
Not even the tiny ones on the ceiling? I just went to the bathroom and saw 5 of them, even though we clean it every day
Load More Replies...I live in Sydney, Australia and haven't seen a spider in a couple months. I've not seen a huntsman in years!
I live in Sydney and had to kill a spider the size of an ice cream scoop in my brother's room two weeks ago :-(. But that really is the first time in a couple of years that's happened.
Load More Replies...Lots of spiders everywhere. Leave them alone and they will mostly leave you alone. Brown recluse are pretty venomous and they are in the USA hanging out just wishing to lick your eyeball. :)
Here’s the thing. Even if they never touch me, I could totally die from a heart attack knowing they’re that close. Not happening.
Load More Replies...I’ve heard great things about both countries so I would take the risk. But do bring earplugs if you travel with me because I will absolutely screech if I see a big bug/spider/creature.
So will you give me half a minute to search for my earplugs before you start screeching? 😅
Load More Replies...Yes Australia has poisonous spiders, but people die everyday for various reasons. I'm Australian and I would never live in another country even if it means the other country provides me a nice comfortable house, free of charge, 1st class airfares and $$ to move, I won't move lol
I am a Brazilian. Spiders in the city aren't that common really. No more so than in any American city. Bigger problem is rats. I've seen them on subway platforms, and sometimes even in the daytime you may see one on the street. But lots of cool animals too. My dad's apartment will get toucans, and very rarely, little monkeys will come to steal clothes pins from the line. I don't know what they do with them. We also have really colorful hummingbirds, and they love our feeders. They will fly right next to you, and sound like helicopters. Oh, and parrots. Green and blue and red. They are super smart birds. My uncle has a pool, and he gets iguanas sun bathing. They are so cute. He does get spiders though, but they are like jewels, so shiny and colorful. They have never bitten anyone that I know of.
Load More Replies...The whole year i spent in Brazil I barely saw any. If you're sticking to the cities they aren't your concern.
I'm in Australia we have alot of people terrified of spiders living here who hardly ever see one but jump on their chairs or tables if they do just like the rest of the planet. I dont like spiders but never feel threatened living here. Of course avoiding our rain forests, hinterlands in the north and the out back helps....
Not really. In the scary animals department Brazil is more of a snake place if you ask me.
Load More Replies...I won't go to Australia cause I would fall off the earth
I live in Australia. The spiders and I have an arrangement they can live in the garden but in the house they are fair game. I hate spiders
The snakes in Australia terrify me more than the spiders. Had an Australian bf who wanted to move back so I spent way too much time researching Australia online. Queensland seems to have an unsettling amount of carpet pythons falling through ceilings. He was from a town outside Brisbane, which happened to be ground zero for brown snakes. Nope. We broke up before we moved; the side chick put me off more than the thought of a python falling onto the kitchen table.
Load More Replies...Don't ever come by Florida. A brown recluse, or two, is definitely in my yard somewhere.
I'd add thailand to your list too then. Thailand black tarantulas are vicious if the videos i watched on ExoticsLair on youtube are anything to go by xD (im scared of spiders but I do admit some of them have beautiful colourings and they are fascinating creatures. just..they can stay away from me.)
Confession, I really want to visit Australia BECAUSE of the dangerous wildlife, not despite
If you do go, don't p**s off a kangaroo near water. Apparently they sometimes try to get an opponent into water so they can drown them.
Load More Replies...Why aren't we talking about bears? They are killings machines, if they want you dead you are dead! Just hope you die quickly, being eaten alive is not that unlikely. There is not even a good way to defend yourself, just constantly cream "I am here" in hopes they won't like you and stay away. If you have a gun, you better kill it with a single shot, an engaged bear is a lot worse than a moody one. Pepper spray don't aways work, using fetal position don't aways work, trying to scare it don't aways work...there is no failsafe way to stay alive, and they are just there, roaming around, sometimes even in cities. And you are afraid of a spider, that you can outrun, kill, etc, that probably won't cause any harm to you even if they bite you and it goes untreated. Sorry, I am really afraid of bears just want to vent it.
In Brazil we have 3 dangerous spiders. Loxosceles genus, like the brown recluse, which can be found pretty much everywhere, the black widow, that lives pretty much everywhere, and the Brazilian wandering spider...ok, that one is one of the most scary spiders in the world, but it is not that common and statically, it is not as dangerous. But you probably have freaking death machines roaming around your woods, like bears lions and tigers, I would definitely take my chances with a spider, which is a lot easier to outrun. I am not going to Australia either.
The most dangerous animal we have in Brazil, are Brazilians. Second is the mosquito.
Load More Replies...Almost went to Brazil on temp work assignment. Thank God I didn’t. Australia isn’t on my list either.
That spider is the joro spider which is native to aisa but introduced to the US and is very invasive but still pretty. Oh also it has a neurotoxin venom that's about as nasty as a black widow so enjoy at safe distance:)
Load More Replies...I adore our eight legged friends and would happily travel to Australia and Brazil to learn more about these two amazing places.
You can have stable affordable housing where you are not bugged by crazy/obnoxious neighbours, a secure well paying job that you not only enjoy but work with people with whom you get on well, live in an area where there is nothing deadly that will try to kill you if you encounter it nor is it bushfire prone or flood prone in Australia. Choose two
Understand, but I *hate* spiders also, and I do not meet too many in Australia. OTOH, I encounter many spider webs, which I also hate, but not quite as much as spiders!
I have a severe case of arachnophonia and always wanted to go to Australia till I found out about Australia. Robin Williams' daughter and her boyfriend at the time stayed in a luxury hotel years ago and the huge creatures were there. Thanks for the heads up about Brazil.
I think the spider in the pic above is an orb weaver-type. They won't hurt you but they might make you hurt yourself.
No to that as well. I freak out at the sight of spiders. Never going to someplace like Australia. There are more things per square mile that can kill you than any other country. And the Amazon...forgetaboutit.
I love spiders!! I had a pet black widow for awhile. My MIL is terrified of them to the point where if you mention them she gets squeamish.
What? Australia *was*on my Bucket list until l read that. Serious arachnophobia here. I'm trying to run away from the vile things. Why, oh why would l go visit?
Okay but why are orb weavers just so unsettling to look at 😭 I'm fine with almost every other kind but the spindly legs combined with the long fat abdomen is just unpleasant to look at
Our Wolf Spider (UK) is too large for me, nevermind the ones in hot Countries. *shiver*. I'd rather be forever cold, tbh.
No Olympic medals for me, I'm afraid.
I don't think I'm going to find "the one".
remember, sometimes love comes at unexpected times, bad times even. I believe you don't need love to be happy! <3
Throwing a fragmentation grenade.
I know I could do it, but too often I've thrown things somewhere and accidentally hit something not supposed to hit. I'd have too much fear that I'd just yeet that thing 3m in front of me instead of far away.
There is a special technique when throwing a hand grenade. It's not actually thrown like a base ball or tossed as seen in movies. You use your arm more like a trebuchet. If you just so happen to be left-handed, like myself, you hold the grenade upside-down. The standard M67 grenade weights about one pound. It may not seem like much, but it does not take long to tire your arm after throwing a few. Throwing one is not that exciting, once again as seen on t.v. For one, there is no dramatic fireball. Secondly, you don't see it explode for obvious reasons (shrapnel to the face).
Being able to retire (having enough money to retire). Living to retirement age.
I will not write a bestselling novel or paint a picture that sells for over $10,000. Doesn't take the fun out of it tho.
I've both owned a Harley-Davidson and served in the Navy without getting any tattoos. Nope. The ink ain't gonna happen.
I wanted a stamp on my passport before I turned 30.
...I hope I have a stamp on my passport before I turn 40.
I always wanted to ride a bull. You know, the whole 8 seconds out of the chute, hanging on for dear life.
And there’s a time I definitely could have done it. I had hands like a pair of vice grips, and my bones seemed to be indestructible. Not so much anymore. Suddenly, since about 34 years old, I can sneeze the wrong way and feel it in my back for a week. And now there’s a kiddo on the way? Nah. I can’t go smashing myself to bits on a bull. I’ll stick to a bicycle.
Boy, this list would be huge. But #1 is being crazy rich. You know, soccer players level of richness. Even if I managed to get this amount of money, I feel like living in high society must be so tiring, I don't want to experience this lol
Ride a bike. I just turned 30 47 minutes ago and feel way to embarrassed to try and learn now.
I taught an adult to ride a bike a few years ago. Took the pedals off, lowered the seat so that she could put both feet on the ground, had her push off and just glide in an empty parking lot. When she felt confident gliding longer distances after a few weeks, we raised the seat a little, put the pedals back on and she added pedalling into the mix.
I wanted to be a fighter jet pilot for almost my entire life. I work on fighter jets as ground crew on the exact platform I grew up wanting to fly. Some days it really gets me down, but I've mostly accepted my life wouldn't be where it is had I had completed going that route. I'm really happy where I'm at so it's bittersweet some days.
Become a father. It's heartwrenching if I sit & think about it, so I try not to.
It sounds like this is something OP really wanted. There are a lot of ways to be a father that don’t involve the traditional way. Fostering, adopting, stepchildren. Or there are a ton of ways to make a difference in children’s lives. Coaching sports, mentor programs, volunteer work. Hugs to OP.
Playing a professional sport. It sucks cause it was a big part of my life in high school and college but I never had any delusions I'd go pro.
I will never eat frogs legs or snails. Even tho I live in 🇫🇷.
I ate frog legs before. They were actually good. Then I thought about it about a week later. So if you do eat them just don't think about it.
Load More Replies...Stuff to not do, now that I'm a bit over 70: Climb till exhausted. Walk on hot coals or lava. Play LADY OF SPAIN on accordion. Go flat broke. Support political reactionaries. Sing falsetto. Tame a wild predatory animal. Whittle.
I have bungy jumping, free climbing & riding roller coasters on my anti-bucket list
I will also never go free climbing, or bungy jumping. I love roller coasters though.
Load More Replies...I think some people misunderstood what a " bucket list" is, it's stuff you want to do before you die. So an "anti bucket list" is stuff you have no interest in trying. No interest in skydiving? Yes. Not making a million dollars? That counts more as what you won't be able to do, not what you have no interest in. Who doesn't want at least a little more money?
Going to university. Nearly 40 and still can't write an essay or anything like that to save my life. I got through high school by acing the short answer questions in exams.
If you want to write an essay it's simple, come up with a topic, 3 points to support your topic, let's say you wanna write about why you should get a dog, point 1: they are fun, point 2: they are cute, point 3: they are fluffy. There you have your essay planned, your going to have a total of 5 paragraphs of this essay, start your introduction simply by introducing your topic by saying "Dogs are something everyone should have for several reasons" then introduce your points so say something like "One of these reasons is dogs are fun and this is beneficial for people" I don't remember what my point was so if that wasn't it forgive me, then then introduce your second point, "Another reason is..." then the third point, restate your topic now "there are many reasons why people should have dogs" there is your introduction and layout for your conclusion. For the conclusion paragraph for the first and last sentence in the conclusion use words like "therefore" and "in conclusion" because
Load More Replies...Some of these really miss the whole concept. It is not about what you would want, but can't...
I'll never own an iPhone, go cave diving or watch a Hallmark channel movie. Nope. Never.
Eating sushi frogs or snails. I had food poisoning from raw meat once so I will never ever ever eat sushi.
This is a stupid list. Most are things that nobody will do or is even possible. Step foot on another planet! Wtf. Win a gold medal! So dumb
My anti bucket list: mountain climb. Have a kid. Get a Twitter account. Take all honors like i (an idiot) did in middle school. Stay in this country at legal adulthood if I have the funds to move out.
Another fun BP post. Honestly, I mean it. A lot of things to think about. Most of these things make me feel like I've failed at life, somehow.
Why there are such an unreasonable unrealistic options? Like living on another planet or leaving solar system on some hyperspace colony thingy? The first is not going to happen in 10-20 years, the latter probably in 100 years.
Honestly I think it'd be cool to do all those things sadly I probably will never have a chance but I'd love too
Load More Replies...I do have an anti bucket list but I call it my to f*ck with it list.
I will never eat frogs legs or snails. Even tho I live in 🇫🇷.
I ate frog legs before. They were actually good. Then I thought about it about a week later. So if you do eat them just don't think about it.
Load More Replies...Stuff to not do, now that I'm a bit over 70: Climb till exhausted. Walk on hot coals or lava. Play LADY OF SPAIN on accordion. Go flat broke. Support political reactionaries. Sing falsetto. Tame a wild predatory animal. Whittle.
I have bungy jumping, free climbing & riding roller coasters on my anti-bucket list
I will also never go free climbing, or bungy jumping. I love roller coasters though.
Load More Replies...I think some people misunderstood what a " bucket list" is, it's stuff you want to do before you die. So an "anti bucket list" is stuff you have no interest in trying. No interest in skydiving? Yes. Not making a million dollars? That counts more as what you won't be able to do, not what you have no interest in. Who doesn't want at least a little more money?
Going to university. Nearly 40 and still can't write an essay or anything like that to save my life. I got through high school by acing the short answer questions in exams.
If you want to write an essay it's simple, come up with a topic, 3 points to support your topic, let's say you wanna write about why you should get a dog, point 1: they are fun, point 2: they are cute, point 3: they are fluffy. There you have your essay planned, your going to have a total of 5 paragraphs of this essay, start your introduction simply by introducing your topic by saying "Dogs are something everyone should have for several reasons" then introduce your points so say something like "One of these reasons is dogs are fun and this is beneficial for people" I don't remember what my point was so if that wasn't it forgive me, then then introduce your second point, "Another reason is..." then the third point, restate your topic now "there are many reasons why people should have dogs" there is your introduction and layout for your conclusion. For the conclusion paragraph for the first and last sentence in the conclusion use words like "therefore" and "in conclusion" because
Load More Replies...Some of these really miss the whole concept. It is not about what you would want, but can't...
I'll never own an iPhone, go cave diving or watch a Hallmark channel movie. Nope. Never.
Eating sushi frogs or snails. I had food poisoning from raw meat once so I will never ever ever eat sushi.
This is a stupid list. Most are things that nobody will do or is even possible. Step foot on another planet! Wtf. Win a gold medal! So dumb
My anti bucket list: mountain climb. Have a kid. Get a Twitter account. Take all honors like i (an idiot) did in middle school. Stay in this country at legal adulthood if I have the funds to move out.
Another fun BP post. Honestly, I mean it. A lot of things to think about. Most of these things make me feel like I've failed at life, somehow.
Why there are such an unreasonable unrealistic options? Like living on another planet or leaving solar system on some hyperspace colony thingy? The first is not going to happen in 10-20 years, the latter probably in 100 years.
Honestly I think it'd be cool to do all those things sadly I probably will never have a chance but I'd love too
Load More Replies...I do have an anti bucket list but I call it my to f*ck with it list.